Food for life

NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR MS IMAGING: MAPPING THE DISTRIBUTION OF METABOLITES IN TISSUES

MS Imaging techniques allow the acquisition of “molecular snapshots” to directly map the distribution of metabolites in biological tissues using position-sensitive ionization methods such as Laser Desorption Ionization (LDI) and Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI). This ambitious undertaking will be pursued with the new equipment installed at the metabolomic profiling platform. Metabolic Images will increase our understanding of plant metabolism, the technique having potential applications in food quality, nutrition and plant-pathogen interaction.

[Pietro Franceschi]

Innovation In Local Dairy Production

The researchers of the Food Quality and Nutrition Area are helping the Consortium of Trentino Dairy Producers to optimise the production chain of Grana Trentino cheese, the main local dairy product. The project, funded by local Government, is developing a quality control system based on innovative methods of analysis, and studying the effects on cheese quality of more rational and economically advantageous conditions for milk storage before cheese making. On the basis of our results, the Consortium is implementing a plan to introduce innovative measures to raise standards of quality while maintaining local characteristics.

[Flavia Gasperi, Agostino Cavazza]

RESVERATROL: NOT JUST A DEFENCE MOLECULE

Resveratrol has proved to be a promising molecule for both human and plant health. It confers protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancer and is an antifungal agent in plants which synthesize it, such as grapevine. We have recently demonstrated that constitutive accumulation of resveratrol also occurs in healthy grapes during ripening in a cultivar-dependent manner.

We have also been able to obtain substantial production of resveratrol in cell cultures elicited with cyclodextrins. These sugar molecules induce defence mechanisms in plants largely resembling those following pathogen attack.

[Claudio

Moser]